10-17-2019, 06:28 AM
Thank you Wayne and Charlie for putting what we do here in prospective. I also thank you and others for your continuing support and activity. We all know the story, Mikey and I started these forums way back when our old "Big Blue", (the Gauge), got sucked up with other modeling forums, then sold to a giant organization that was in it strictly for the profit. We changed the name ten years ago when we changed servers and thought we should just pick up on our old nickname. Anyway, we made a commitment not to allow commercial ads or take on a sponsor so that we have no allegiance to anyone but our members and staff. We said in the beginning that we would keep Big Blue going even if we had to dig into our own pockets and we meant it.
I think Mikey just said what needs to be said, when we need help, we ask, and we’re to that point right now. Our server and domain name renewal will be upon us in a few months, we want to make sure we’re able to handle that commitment when it becomes due. Each time we have to renew, we find either the cost has gone up (no more “introductory offers”), and/or we have to move to a different server scheme. Neither of us are in a position of wealth, but we want to keep Big Blue going, so we do what we need to. We both get occasional offers to sell Big Blue (the latest appears to be from someone that registered this morning), and we just ignore or reject those offers. Why, well we want Big Blue to be run by modelers that understand why our members are here, and we don’t want to drive them away with paid or sponsored ads or a bunch of new draconian rules; just like what happened with the original Gauge. BTW, that’s still the way they run things there.
Like Mikey, Wayne and Charlie said, we don’t want to pressure anyone into bidding on something they don’t want, can’t use or can’t afford or to donate beyond what they can afford. We’re family here and we don’t do that. If you can afford to send us a little something once in a while, fine, if not, we understand and won’t stop running Big Blue because of that. You can’t blame us though for trying to drum up support and interest in our train forums.
I think Mikey just said what needs to be said, when we need help, we ask, and we’re to that point right now. Our server and domain name renewal will be upon us in a few months, we want to make sure we’re able to handle that commitment when it becomes due. Each time we have to renew, we find either the cost has gone up (no more “introductory offers”), and/or we have to move to a different server scheme. Neither of us are in a position of wealth, but we want to keep Big Blue going, so we do what we need to. We both get occasional offers to sell Big Blue (the latest appears to be from someone that registered this morning), and we just ignore or reject those offers. Why, well we want Big Blue to be run by modelers that understand why our members are here, and we don’t want to drive them away with paid or sponsored ads or a bunch of new draconian rules; just like what happened with the original Gauge. BTW, that’s still the way they run things there.
Like Mikey, Wayne and Charlie said, we don’t want to pressure anyone into bidding on something they don’t want, can’t use or can’t afford or to donate beyond what they can afford. We’re family here and we don’t do that. If you can afford to send us a little something once in a while, fine, if not, we understand and won’t stop running Big Blue because of that. You can’t blame us though for trying to drum up support and interest in our train forums.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD